Oil Cleansers

Since winter started here in Colorado, I've had to adjust my skin care regime. This is important for everybody living where you have seasonal changes in temperature and humidity. During the winter months, my skin gets parched that I step back to cleansing only at night to get rid of my makeup and any other grime I picked up during the day. I don't sweat like I do in the summer, so once a day leaves my skin just as clear as it is in the summer.

However, I decided that this winter was just too harsh on my dry skin to keep using even my super gentle shea soap. So, I did some reading and created my own oil based cleanser. I know this seems backwards, but oils will actually help remove excess oil, makeup, and dirt. Remember like dissolves like. I made an oil based cleanser specifically for my skin, which is quite dry right now, but you can always adjust the oils and ingredients for your needs.

You will need:

Olive oil
Sunflower oil
Sweet almond oil
Lavender essential oil

I mixed equal parts of the three base oil into my two ounce amber glass container that I found at Whole Foods, I love it because it has a dropper. Any container will work, but you will probably prefer something with a small opening and dark bottles will help protect your oils from oxidation. I added 5-10 drops of lavender essential oil. You can adjust this depending on your skin and whether you like lavender. If you substitute another essential oil, you might want to use a maximum of 5 drops because some are NOT good for your skin at higher concentrations and can actually cause irritations.

To Use:
Use one dropper full or a dime size amount in your palm, rub between your hands and VERY gently massage into skin. Remember to always smooth up, away from gravity. Use a soft cotton cloth to wipe away excess oil. If you want you can dampen the cloth with warm (NOT HOT) water. I follow with a gentle toner and a light moisturizer. You would think that I would need a heavier moisturizer since it is winter, but I found that the cleansing oil leaves my skin clean, but not dry. I cannot use the cleansing oil in the summer because even without a moisturizer, my skin is much too oily, but for dry winter skin, this might be ther perfect cure!